Rietvallei Wine Estate is one of South Africa's oldest family-owned wine estates in the Robertson Wine Valley, Western Cape. The estate has been in the Burger family for six generations and is situated in the Klaas Voogds Valley. It covers a total area of 250 hectares, with 99 hectares dedicated to vineyards.
The estate was acquired in 1864 by Alwyn Burger for his son, Jacobus Francois Burger, who founded Rietvallei Wine Estate. Since its establishment, the estate has remained in the family and continues to be managed by the Burger family. [1] Rietvallei is believed to be the oldest wine farm in the Robertson region.[ citation needed ]
Rietvallei Wine Estate cultivates a mix of white and red noble grape varieties, with approximately 63% of the vineyards planted with white cultivars and 33% with red. The estate features a variety of soil types, including red calcareous clay loam, deep calcareous loam, and sandy alluvial soil. These soil compositions are said to contribute to the unique flavour and aroma of the estate’s wines, enhancing the natural sweetness and concentration of the grapes. [2] [ citation needed ]
One of the estate’s most notable features is its historic vineyard, planted in 1908 with the Red Muscadel grape variety. This vineyard is recognized as the oldest of its kind in South Africa.[ citation needed ] Rietvallei produces a single-vineyard fortified wine from this vineyard called Rietvallei 1908 Muscadel. [3] Older vintages of this wine have been featured at the Nederburg Auction, which was renamed the Cape Fine & Rare Wine Auction in 2019. [4]
Rietvallei produces a wide range of wines, including Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Cinsaut. Additionally, the estate produces several wine labels, including Rietvallei Estate, Burger Family Wines, John B, and Stonedale. [5] [ citation needed ]
Chenin blanc is a white wine grape variety from the Loire Valley of France. Its high acidity means it can be used to make varieties from sparkling wines to well-balanced dessert wines, although it can produce very bland, neutral wines if the vine's natural vigor is not controlled. Outside the Loire, it is found in most of the New World wine regions; it is the most widely planted variety in South Africa, where it was historically also known as Steen. The grape may have been one of the first to be grown in South Africa by Jan van Riebeeck in 1655, or it may have come to that country with Huguenots fleeing France after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685. Chenin blanc was often misidentified in Australia, as well, so tracing its early history in the country is not easy. It may have been introduced in James Busby's collection of 1832, but C. Waterhouse was growing Steen at Highercombe in Houghton, South Australia, by 1862.
Ruby Cabernet is a red Olmo grape variety that is a cross between Cabernet Sauvignon and Carignan. It can produce wines with good colour and a pleasant cherry flavour, but is mostly blended into bulk wines.
DeLille Cellars is a winery in Woodinville, Washington, USA. Located in the Hollywood District of Woodinville at the former Redhook Brewery, DeLille's hospitality venues include The Tasting Room and The Restaurant at DeLille Cellars. DeLille Cellars specializes in wines using the Bordeaux grape varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. In 2000, DeLille won The New York TimesWine Today.com "Winery of the Year" award. It is one of Washington state's premier cult wines.
Bordeaux wine is produced in the Bordeaux region of southwest France, around the city of Bordeaux, on the Garonne River. To the north of the city, the Dordogne River joins the Garonne forming the broad estuary called the Gironde; the Gironde department, with a total vineyard area of 110,800 hectares, is the second largest wine-growing area in France behind the Languedoc-Rousillon.
New Zealand wine is produced in several of its distinct winegrowing regions. As an island country in the South Pacific Ocean, New Zealand has a largely maritime climate, although its elongated geography produces considerable regional variation from north to south. Like many other New World wines, New Zealand wine is usually produced and labelled as single varietal wines, or if blended, winemakers list the varietal components on the label. New Zealand is best known for its Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, and more recently its dense, concentrated Pinot Noir from Marlborough, Martinborough and Central Otago.
South African wine has a history dating back to 1659 with the first bottle being produced in Cape Town by its founder and governor Jan van Riebeeck. Access to international markets led to new investment in the South African wine market. Production is concentrated around Cape Town and almost exclusively located within the Western Cape province, with major vineyard and production centres at Constantia, Paarl, Stellenbosch and Worcester.
Marchesi Antinori Srl is an Italian wine company, based in Florence, Tuscany, that can trace its history back to 1385. They are one of the biggest wine companies in Italy, and their innovations played a large part in the "Super-Tuscan" revolution of the 1970s.
Western Cape is a Geographical Unit within the Wine of Origin classification system of South African wine. Corresponding to the province of Western Cape it includes most of the vineyards in South Africa.
The South Australian wine industry is responsible for more than half the production of all Australian wine. South Australia has a vast diversity in geography and climate which allows the state to be able to produce a range of grape varieties–from the cool climate Riesling variety in the Clare Valley wine region to the big, full bodied Shiraz wines of the Barossa Valley.
The Loire Valley wine region includes the French wine regions situated along the river Loire from the Muscadet region near the city of Nantes on the Atlantic coast to the region of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé just southeast of the city of Orléans in north central France. In between are the regions of Anjou wine, Saumur, Bourgueil, Chinon, and Vouvray. The Loire Valley itself follows the river through the Loire department to the river's origins in the Cévennes but the majority of the wine production takes place in the regions noted above. The area includes 87 appellations under the Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) and Indication Géographique Protégée (IGP) systems.
Provence (Provençal) wine comes from the French wine-producing region of Provence in southeast France. The Romans called the area provincia nostra, giving the region its name. Just south of the Alps, it was the first Roman province outside Italy.
Fairview Wine and Cheese farm is a South African producer of wines and cheeses based in the Paarl region of the Western Cape province. It is owned and run by Charles Back, who also owns The Goats do Roam Wine Company and The Spice Route Winery.
Pomerol is a French wine-growing commune and Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) within the Libournais in Bordeaux. The wine produced here is predominately from Merlot with Cabernet Franc playing a supporting role. Unlike most other Bordeaux communes, there is no real village of Pomerol, although there is a church. The houses are set among the vineyards.
Adelaida Vineyards & Winery is a family-owned and operated winery that was named after a 19th-century settlement in the mountains of west Paso Robles, California. Situated at 2,000 feet (610 m) of elevation and 14 miles (23 km) from the Pacific Ocean, the terrain of the Adelaida, California district is marked by ancient calcareous soils, diurnal temperature variations of nearly 50 °F (10 °C), and warm, dry growing seasons. Adelaida Vineyards & Winery produces Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot noir, Syrah, Rhône blends, Zinfandel and other wines from the Paso Robles AVA.
Boushey Vineyard is a grape-growing estate located in the Yakima Valley AVA, north of Grandview, Washington. Grapes grown in the vineyard have been used to produce some of the most critically acclaimed Washington wines with the name Boushey regularly being featured on vineyard designated wines. Paul Gregutt, wine writer for the Seattle Times and Wine Enthusiast, list Boushey as one of the "top ten" vineyards in the entire state. The vineyard is owned and managed by viticulturist Dick Boushey who was honored in 2002 by the Washington State Wine Commission as Washington's "Grower of the Year" and in 2007 by Wine & Spirits as their "Grower of the Year". After Red Willow Vineyard, which was planted with David Lake and Mike Sauer, Boushey was one of the first Washington wine growers to plant Syrah. Today, Boushey Vineyard is considered by wine experts such as Jon Bonné to be "One of the state's top Syrah spots" with many Washington Syrahs made from Boushey's grape receiving critical acclaim.
Château La Louvière is a Bordeaux wine producer from the Pessac-Léognan appellation of Bordeaux. The château is located in the commune of Léognan. It was owned by André Lurton from 1965 to his death in 2019.
Breaux Vineyards is a Cajun owned and operated winery and vineyard located in Purcellville, Loudoun County, Virginia. Founded by E. Paul Breaux, Jr. in 1997, the 100% estate grown winery was one of three United States wineries to be named in the book "250 Best Wines 2012" by Oz Clarke for their Viognier, which landed at #87 in the publication. Breaux Vineyards is one of Virginia's largest grape growers & suppliers of wine grapes, bulk juice, and bulk wine to other East Coast U.S. wineries. The company logo is a red Crawfish, which pays homage to the Breaux family's Cajun heritage because they are often used in the local Cajun cuisine in Louisiana.
Red Willow Vineyard is a grape-growing estate located in the far western end of Yakima Valley AVA, within the Yakama Indian Reservation. Beginning with their relationship with Columbia Winery and Master of Wine David Lake, grapes from Red Willow have been used to produce some of the most critically acclaimed Washington wines with the vineyard's name regularly being featured on vineyard designated wines. Paul Gregutt, wine writer for the Seattle Times and Wine Enthusiast, list Red Willow as one of the "top ten" vineyards in the entire state.
Te Mata Estate is an independent, family-owned Hawke's Bay winery and New Zealand's oldest, in continuous operation since 1895. The winery produces everything on-premises at their Havelock Hills site near Havelock North, 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) south of Napier. Established in the late 19th century by the Chambers family, the winery and original vineyards were the first to be heritage-protected, and is one of New Zealand's most highly regarded wineries.
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